Reunion
by AlexMichele
Summary: Annie's been taken hostage by the capitol and this is Finnick's account of how they met and everything that happens leading up to her rescue. Slightly AU. All credit goes to Susanne Collins for such lovable characters.
1. Finnick and Annie

**Chapter one: Finnick and Annie**

It's been almost three months since I've seen her face. This is the longest I've been without her even before her games or mine. Annie Cresta has been my best friend since I was twelve years old. We spent every day on the beach together playing, making sand castles, swimming, the normal things a ten and twelve year old from District 4 do. We were together every waking moment of every day. Even in school we were together. We had lunch together in the court yard every day and our classes were just down the hall from one another. Life was great.

When I was fourteen I was reaped for the Hunger Games. I came from a Career District where Annie and I trained together when we weren't playing together. Annie had turned twelve that year. She held herself together and stayed strong for me while I was gone. I had thought then that that was the longest month of my life. When I was done with the victory tour after winning the 65th Hunger Games, she was the first person who ran to me and embraced me. I had never been so happy to see her. I immediately started apologizing for every mean thing I'd ever done to her. She laughed, told me there was no need. For the five years that followed that, we fell back into the pattern of the things we did before, except now we were older and the Games had changed me. Snow had changed me. I became the Capitol play boy, being called over for weeks at a time where I had to let women touch me, play with me, under threat to kill everyone I loved.

When I was nineteen and Annie was sixteen, she was reaped. I was forced to mentor my best friend. I went crazy doing things that I never would have done otherwise. It was then that I realized how much I'd fallen for her. How she was more than just my best friend. I was even more determined to bring her home after I'd gotten the nerve to kiss her and tell her I couldn't live without her.

Mags, the other District 4 mentor, and I were sitting on the couch watching the Games progress. Annie and her District partner Michael had made an alliance together early on. We watched as the female tribute from District 2 crept up on them. Michael was trying to reassure Annie that killing the girl from District 12 was the right thing to do or else she'd have killed them instead. Neither of them noticed the girl from 2 until she announced that she was there. It was only a matter of seconds before Mags and I watched as Michael's head hit the ground right in front of Annie and his body fell backwards toward the girl from 2. Annie was never the same after that.

The game makers got bored with everything that happened after Annie avenged Michael's death that they sent a flood to wipe out everyone. Except Annie. She was the only one who could swim. Annie came home to me broken, unstable, insane. I didn't care. She was home. People wondered why I kept her around after she was named the "mad victor from District 4" She was still my best friend. That's why. Deep down, she was still Annie.

After her games, it was hard trying to fall into any sort of pattern. All I knew was I loved her, she at least liked me, and I wasn't about to let her go. It took another year before she was ready for any sort of relationship, but when she was, I took the chance to hold her, kiss her, tell her I loved her, and I wasn't about to let her go. It was then that people started calling me mad.

"Why would you date a mad girl when you could have any fish in the ocean?" I was asked.

"Someone's got to love the mad girl," I replied with a smile.

"Anyone Finnick. You could have anyone. All you have to do is ask and you'd have them all at your feet,"

"I like my feet women free thank you," I said. I moved their arm from around my shoulder and walked away leaving them speechless. There were many nights at first that her parents allowed me to stay in the room next to Annie's so that when she woke up screaming from her nightmares I could be there to comfort her and to bring her back to reality. Four years past. Each year I spent about a month away from her to mentor the next two children to be slaughtered by the Hunger Games. This year was the 74th Hunger Games. Almost ten years ago I had been reaped.

This year, there was a pair of what they were calling "star crossed lovers from District 12." While Mags and I worked on our tributes before the games, this year's pair were a stubborn pair. The boy didn't follow our advice and ended up getting himself killed in the bloodbath. The girl made it for a few days before she was killed by the tribute from District 10.

After both of your Districts tributes are dead, you're allowed to go home. I told Mags I was going to stay in the capitol to finish watching the games and asked her to go home and be with Annie. I was too intrigued with District 12. Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire was very interesting girl to say the least. I couldn't tell if she really did like her District partner Peeta Melark, or if she was just pretending. I didn't know why she tried to save the little girl from District 11. I had to give her some credit for being able to stay strong and continue to push through to the end.

The end, where she threw the entire country into chaos. She wasn't going to let the capitol kill her or Peeta. At the end when they were the only two left, she gave him half her nightlock berries and before either of them could bite into them, Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker had no choice but to allow both of them their lives. I went home to Annie shortly after Haymitch Abernathy left to go retrieve his tributes.

~HG~HG~HG~

I'm greeted by Haymitch just a month before the 75th games. The quarter quell. The quarter quells were always interested. Haymitch was a victor of the 50th Hunger Games. The second quarter quell.

"I need to talk to you," he says as I open the door to my house. Annie is over today and we were sitting in my living room floor playing a board game together.

"Would you like to come in?" I ask opening the door a little further.

"Who is it Fin?" Annie calls.

"I need to talk to you alone." Haymitch says when he hears Annie. "Can you come outside or send her elsewhere?"

"It's just Haymitch love, I'll be right back, you stay inside," I call back to her. I step outside. He looks worried.

"Listen," he pauses and looks around for something. "Plutarch Heavensbee is the new head Gamemaker this year. He's tipped a few of us off about this year's quell. They're reaping victors." Annie. My Annie has a chance of being reaped again. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm the only male victor from District 4, so I know I'm going in again. Mags and Annie are the only two female victors. I don't want to lose either of them, but I know I can't live without Annie.

"Don't lose your mind, listen," Haymitch says to me breaking through my thoughts. "There's a plan to get most of us out. I'm going to be on the outside here at home because the moment Peeta and Katniss hear about it, there's no way if I get reaped that Peeta's going to let me go in there with Katniss. He'll want to. You can tell Mags, but you can't tell Annie. I know you care about her, but the less she knows the better off she'll be. I hate to tell you this but she'll be among the first targeted when we get rescued,"

"I won't tell her anything. What's the plan?" I ask. He continues to tell me how we're going to get rescued from the arena. Some of us will have to die in order for it to work. Those who die will be the ones who are not in on the plan. I'm allowed to tell Mags. I hate this. I hate this more than when I hated Annie getting reaped for her first time. No matter what, Katniss and Peeta are not to know about the rescue mission. I'm not sure how many other victors know. The Districts that only have a few remaining victors probably know. Like District 7. Johanna Mason probably knows. She's the only female victor from her district. When Haymitch leaves I go back inside. Annie's curled up on my couch reading a book. I lean against the door frame of the entry way.

"What are you reading?" I ask. It startles her. She shows me the cover of her book. Some book I've never heard of.

"What did Haymitch want?" she asks.

"He just wanted to have a man to man chat, nothing to worry about," I've crossed the room to her and I extend my hand.

"I've got to go talk to Mags, let's get you home for now. I'll come by and have dinner with you," I say. She eyes me suspiciously.

"I don't believe you," she says.

"What don't you believe?" I ask.

"What did Haymitch want?" I hate lying to her. I'm so bad at it.

"Don't worry about it, nothing important,"

"Why do you have to go talk to Mags?" she's always been good at seeing through me. He shouldn't have told me this while I was spending the day with her.

"It's nothing that you need to worry about Annie, I promise you. Everything is going to be okay," What am I going to do? She can't live without me either. She'll probably have some sort of breakdown when I have to leave her to return to the games. She eyes me angrily.

"I love you," I tell her and then lean in to kiss her before her thoughts go any further. I don't normally use my influence over her against her, but right now, I need her to forget she's mad I won't tell her what Haymitch wanted. I need her to not worry. I pick her up off the couch without breaking our lips. I walk backwards fully prepared to walk over to the door where I will set her down and talk to her again, but my foot catches on the table leg and the next thing I know we're in a pile on the floor. She's laughing, and her laugh is enough to make me laugh. She's forgotten what happened already. At least for now.

~HG~HG~HG~

The quarter quell is announced. The Districts are to offer one male and one female tribute who have already survived the Hunger Games. Mags quickly agreed that even though we would be saved, Annie did not need to reenter the Hunger Games. When Annie hears this announcement her eyes find mine and her hands find her ears. She's usually in the crowd up front where I can see her and she can see me. Mags and I are usually on the stage because we mentor children every year.

The District 4 escort starts with me first.

"Since District 4 only has one male tribute who has already survived the Hunger Games once, please welcome Finnick Odair!" she says. I smile at the camera like nothing is wrong. Except, everything is wrong. The girl I love, her world has just shattered into a thousand tiny pieces and this time I can't put her back together.

"Now to see which one of our lovely ladies will be returning with him," she says. She puts her hand into the glass ball and closes her eyes mixing up the two slips of paper in there.

"Annie Cresta!" she calls. This doesn't surprise me. As agreed before though, just as the peacekeepers make their way to Annie who is now sitting on the ground rocking back and forth, sobbing, and holding her ears, Mags taps the escort on the shoulder.

"Wait, we have a volunteer!" the escort says looking at Mags.

About a year ago, Mags had a stroke where something in her brain went wrong and she lost all ability to talk. She still gets on very well with paper and a pencil because she didn't lose her ability to communicate. I watch Annie look up teary eyed at Mags. The look on her face says she doesn't know if she should be happy that she's not going into the arena again, or terrified because I am.

"How lovely, shake hands you two!" the escort squeals. I shake Mags hand and nod my head at her. We're going to get through this. We're lead back into the justice building where we will now await saying goodbye to our loved ones. My parents died a few years ago because my father refused the capitol what they wanted. I was in the capitol that week. Annie is the only visitor I get.

"I love you Annie, don't forget that for even a second. Promise me that?" I ask. "I'm going to come home to you. I promise you I'm going to come home. Don't worry for a second. Be strong, I know you can be," I say. My arms are around her waist holding her tightly as she sobs into my neck.

"I know you can do this. Stay strong for me Annie, I love you so much," I tell her. I pull her away from me a little bit so I can see her face and crush my lips against hers. I need her to stay strong. I need her to realize she's going to be alright and I'm going to be alright. The peacekeepers' come much too soon and pull her out of my arms.

"Stay strong Annie, I love you!" I yell back to her shrieks of my name. It breaks my heart to see her like this and not be able to do anything.


	2. Seperation

**Chapter two: Separation**

I find that I'm actually nervous to meet Katniss and Peeta. Like Haymitch had told me before, when Haymitch was reaped again, Peeta rushed forward to take his place. I wasn't sure Katniss liked him yet, but he was still madly in love with her. That was obvious.

While I was on the train I managed to snag several containers of sugar cubes to get me through the week. This was going to be a long week. We all already knew what it was like, most of us had been here more than once because we'd been here with other tributes as their mentors. I couldn't help but to wonder which other victors knew about our rescue mission. I didn't see another victor I knew personally until I found Johanna Mason. The others were all either older or younger than me. Johanna was the same age as me and during our mentoring we'd become friends. I walked over to her.

"Jo! Been a while," I say as flirtatiously as I can.

"Save the flirts for someone who cares Finnick," she says rolling her eyes.

"How've you been?" I ask. I want to make small talk with her first before I ask her what she knows. We talk and catch up and laugh at one another for a while before I find an opening to ask her anything.

"Listen," I lower my voice.

"Sorry lover boy, I don't want you," she smiles seditiously at me.

"That's not what I want, I want to know what you know. Heard anything about us getting rescued?" I ask my lips grazing her ear. I can't let the capitol hear about this. I pull away from her and read her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard about that, poor Annie, I'm so sorry she has to go through this," Johanna says. I know she hasn't heard much about Annie, so I know she knows what I'm talking about. "I'm sure she'll be alright, I mean, you're going home aren't you? How about an alliance? You and me? We can make this." She says holding out her hand. I shake it.

"Alliance," I can't refrain from hugging her. "Thank you," I whisper. Now I don't feel so alone.

"I'm serious too," she says looking at me.

"I know you are, we'll be a fantastic team."

~HG~HG~HG~

The arena makes me feel like I'm a fish trapped in a bowl. With the help of Katniss, Peeta, Johanna, Mags, the victors from District 3, Beetee and Wiress, we've managed to figure out how this arena works. It's a clock. Ticking away our time. Several people have died already. We're in the woods trekking along and suddenly we reach the edge. Peeta walks right into the force field keeping us contained in this arena. Katniss screams and tries everything she can think of to bring him back to her. She loves him. Maybe she doesn't realize it, but in that moment, when she's sobbing because he could be dead, I see it.

"Move," I move her out of my way and preform CPR on him. It's something everyone from District 4 learns at the age twelve. That is, if they don't get reaped for these damn games at that age.

"Please Finnick, bring him back to me," Katniss begs. I don't know why I'm doing this for her. Maybe it's because if the situation were reversed. If Annie had walked into the field and I thought she was dead, I'd be in hysterics too. I feel an urgent tap on my shoulder and look up at Mags. She's pointing at something. Some sort of Fog is closing in on us and we have to move or we're going to be enveloped by it and die. I pick Peeta up and sling him over my shoulder. The four of us start running, but I realize Mags isn't as fast as she used to be.

"Katniss!" I call. She turns around and sees me hesitate.

"We can't save them both," I tell her. "You're not strong enough to run with one of them and I can't run with both of them."

"Finnick," I snap my head around. Mags said something. It's been over a year now and she's finally said something. "Go. Annie." There's a pause between her words as she struggles to get them out. Katniss comes up and touches my elbow.

"Mags, you've been great. I love you." I say. Katniss is now pulling at my elbow as the fog closes in. Tears come to my eyes. I don't want to lose Mags. She's been everything I could ever ask for in a grandmother to me all these years. It's been ten years ago since I was reaped and she was my mentor.

"I love you Mags," I say as she slowly steps backwards toward the fog. She nods her head at me.

"Love. Annie." She's reminding me that she loves me too but I have to get back to Annie. There are tears in her eyes as well. She pushes her hand in my direction telling me to go on and the Fog takes her away.

"Come on Finnick, we've got to run," Katniss yells at me. I run because I have to get out of this for Annie. If it weren't for that I would just stop and break down and die with Mags. A small part of my heart is lost. When we get to the beach I put Peeta down and collapse beside him. I don't know if my CPR worked or not. Katniss collapses on the other side of him and is still sobbing begging him to come back to her. Finally he does. When he does she wraps her arms around his neck and clings to him. He pulls her into his lap and holds her close. I miss Annie. I don't know when we're going to get out of here. We're waiting on something, but the longing to feel Annie in my arms again is driving me insane.

~HG~HG~HG~

We're in this arena for a few more days. I find that half of us knew about the rescue mission and we're all trying to hang on. Of course, not all of us are going to be able to be rescued. The victors from 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, and of course Peeta and Katniss, didn't know anything. Beetee had a perfect plan of escape for us, but when Johanna and Katniss had been gone uncoiling the wire for a while, the end of it sprang back up and we knew something was wrong. I left Peeta and Beetee behind and made a sprint down the slopes yelling for Katniss and Johanna. I could not let either of them die. Beetee would keep Peeta alive.

I didn't find Johanna before I heard Katniss was back up the slopes screaming for Peeta. Peeta was to my right screaming back for her. Johanna would be fine. She'd know what to do. She knew what we were up to anyways. Saving Peeta and Katniss was more on my to do list than saving Johanna. Surely she'd forgive me. I get to the tree just in time to see Katniss draw an arrow and shoot it straight into the force field and then we all watch as the field pretty much explodes.

There's a hovercraft that was waiting that comes down to rescue Beetee, and then Katniss, and then me. Johanna and Peeta and the one remaining victor, either Brutis or Enobaria, are captured by the Capitol before any of us can do anything about it.

On the hovercraft, Beetee and Katniss are taken directly to the hospital portion. I have reason to believe that Peeta might have knocked Beetee out before taking off, and Johanna did what she knew to do in an emergency, knock Katniss out and rip the tracker from her arm. The hospital workers take the trackers from my arm and Beetee's arm out within minutes of our rescue and smash them into powder and throw them out one of the few openable windows.

They set me free not long after this because I am medically alright. I go directly to Plutarch Heavensbee and try to talk him into stopping in District 4 to rescue Annie. I don't want the capitol to get to her before I do. I know they'll hurt her and torment her and try to get information she doesn't know out of her. I promised her I would never let them hurt her again.

"I'm sorry Finnick, we can't stop there but I'll call ahead to District 13 and tell them we want her immediate rescue." He says. Haymitch is in the room too. Whatever they were talking about before I don't know.

"Please? I don't want them to hurt her," I beg. Annie and Mags are all I had left in life. I can't lose them both. He ignores me as the phone goes to his ear. As he said, he's calling District 13 and he asks that they travel to District 4 to save victor Annie Cresta.

"They'll let us know when they have her," he says hanging up the phone. I sink into a chair. Annie. My Annie. They won't get to her in time. President Snow acts fast.

"If they kill her, don't stop me from killing myself," I say. I refuse to live without her.

"I don't think they'll kill her Finnick," Plutarch says. "They'll use her to get to you. Snow isn't a stupid man," No. He's not. I know that. I sit in silence for a while and then it dawns on me he called District 13.

"District 13?" I ask. Plutarch looks at me and then smiles.

"District 13 was destroyed yes. They're not stupid people either. They owned and operated underground nuclear mines and that is where the people escaped to when their District burned to the ground," he tells me.

"All this time we've been lied to?" I ask.

"No dear boy. All this time we've been fooled. The president of 13 struck a deal with Snow. Let the people of 13 live and hide underground, and they wouldn't rebel with nuclear weapons far stronger than anything the capitol has ever seen. Snow agreed. He wasn't interested in watching his sweet capitol be destroyed like 13 was."

~HG~HG~HG~

District 13 calls as we're passing over District 12. We're about forty-five minutes out from the three days we've already been on here. Plutarch, Haymitch and I are sitting around the table talking when he gets the call.

"What do you mean?" he gets up and looks out the window. He points to Haymitch and motions him to come to the window too. Haymitch and I both do.

District 12 is in ruins. The only part of the District that remains is the Victors Village. There is black smoke everywhere and even a few still burning flames. District 12 has been destroyed.

"That's unfortunate," Plutarch says into the phone. My mind has wandered to Annie again. Have they destroyed District 4 too? They've killed her. They've killed my people. My throat closes up and my eyes begin to water. My next mission is to find something to kill myself with and a hiding place where no one will stop me.

"Finnick," Plutarch says to me as I'm about to leave the room. I stop but don't turn around. "Annie isn't dead," he says. "They got to District 4 and found that there were twice as many peacekeepers as before and all of the remaining key people were taken into custody of the capitol." I want to scream. She might not be dead, but they're going to hurt her. I promised I wouldn't let them hurt her again but there's nothing I can do to save her. I open the door in front of me and slam it behind me. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm going away from that room. Away from the windows. Somewhere that I can scream and cry and not be bothered.


	3. Reunion

**Chapter three: Reunion**

District 13 is more than we thought it could be. The residents of District 12 who were lucky enough to escape the bombs were led through the woods to District 13. They take good care of us here though. After I ran off to scream and cry and hide, they've admitted me to the hospital until I'm stable. I think I finally realized why Annie hated everyone babying her as much as we did. On the inside, she's still Annie, and I'm still Finnick. On the outside, she's nothing but normal and without her, I'm nothing but normal. I wonder if they'll deem me as insane as she is. Maybe then we'll understand each other better than we did before.

"Do you have any rope?" I ask Mrs. Everdeen as she cares for me. She and Katniss's little sister Prim were gladly welcomed on staff here at the hospital. Both of them are very good at what they do. I see very little resemblance to Katniss in them except Prim is just as strong willed and stubborn as her sister.

"I'm not very inclined to let you have rope Mr. Odair. What do you want it for?" Mrs. Everdeen asks.

"It doesn't have to be very long of a piece. I just need something to keep my hands busy. To remind me that there's something else out there for me. I'm losing my mind knowing that Annie's not okay. They're hurting her, torturing her for things that she won't know," I break down into sobs for the ten thousandth time. Mrs. Everdeen moves toward the IV stand.

"Please don't, just get me some rope?" I beg. I curl up into a ball and she leaves the room. A few minutes later there's a small hand on my arm.

"Don't cry Finnick, Annie will be alright," the little girl tells me. That's another thing that Prim has that Katniss doesn't. People skills. She holds about two inches of rope in front of my face. "Don't give up on yourself. Annie wouldn't want that. She would want you to hang on so that she has someone to come home to," Prim says. She rubs my arm to try and comfort me and stays with me until I end up crying myself to sleep holding tight to the rope I've been given to keep me company.

~HG~HG~HG~

District 13 is the leader of the rebel team. With the rescue from the arena, we are now in a District versus Capitol war. Of course, some of the Districts were on the same side as the Capitol so 13 recruited several people to make videos that would make all of the Districts turn against the capitol. They want me to help. I'm not sure what good I'll be since all of my thoughts drift to what they are doing to Annie and what I can do to save her and then take revenge, but when I realize that I'm not alone in my sufferings, and that the Mockingjay herself is as broken as I am, I know I have to keep pushing along.

Katniss is suffering the same as I am over Peeta. She probably wasn't aware how much she cared for him until he was gone. Typical girl. Always wanting what they can't have. District 13 needs Katniss to be the rebel star however she's just the opposite.

Somehow or another, our suffering is what bonds us together. Together we make the videos that 13 wants to send and thwart the capitol with. My video is of secrets that I gathered from my days as a capitol whore. Secrets Snow doesn't know I have against him. Katniss and I are now his two biggest threats. Katniss and her team of camera crews and Haymitch and Gale get to have most of the fun. I spend my time in 13 tying knots, keeping my last grip on sanity. My hands are raw and cracked and bleed sometimes, but if it's what's going to hold me over until I have Annie, so be it.

There are video's that the capitol airs of Peeta trying to convince the Districts and Katniss to stop fighting because it's not going to get us anywhere. Of course, he's wrong. If the Capitol wins, we're all going to die and something much worse than the Hunger Games is going to happen. If the Districts win, there will be peace and no more Hunger Games. At least for a little while. Something will be bound to happen. The first video is aired and Peeta looks fine. He looks cleaned up and healthy from after the pain we suffered in the arena. Katniss is angered, but not worried. I'm worried. I know my Annie is alive. I'd feel it and I'd know if they killed her. They're still using her against me. At least Katniss can see that Peeta's okay.

The next video of Peeta that airs, Peeta looks like they've done something to him. He's still being fed lines from the capitol, but there's something else about him. Every mention of Katniss that he says, his eyes gloss over. Katniss notices this too. Peeta warns District 13 that we'll all be dead by morning and after much deliberation, President Coin decides to evacuate the districts further underground to designated areas. I've still got my rope and there's not a chance I'm going to be able to sleep. If Peeta looks that worse in under two weeks, there's no telling how Annie must be in comparison.

After one long sleepless night, Katniss crawls her way over to my area. I've been sitting alone tying knots for hours again and my hands are starting to crack and bleed. She tells me how she's discovered what they're doing to her. Using Peeta against her, attempting to break her. I don't even nod my head. It's what they're doing to me with Annie. They're using her to get to me. That's why I'm tying knots. She's shocked when she realizes I already know what she's telling me. Somehow, I think knowing that we're in similar situations brings her comfort. I know it's what brought me comfort at first. Knowing I'm not alone.

More time passes, more videos to overthrow the capitol are made. After realizing what they're doing to Peeta, Katniss has a mental breakdown trying to be the Mockingjay. Her hysteria, her breakdown, her words about what they're doing to Peeta, mess with me too. They're everything I feel about Annie right to the breaking point. I too lose my head.

A few days later when both Katniss and I come to after being sedated and knocked out, they want us to try filming again. They organized a rescue mission after knocking Katniss and I out. In a few days' time, everyone who went on the mission, Peeta, Annie, Johanna, and Enobaria might be back here with us, or as good as dead. I keep my mind set on the idea that in a few days I'll have Annie in my arms again. Katniss is back and stronger than she was before. She's able to make it through the shots that they want from her and then I insist that it's my turn.

I sit down on the steps in front of the justice building. I'm going to give them every detail they wanted to know and then some. The camera starts rolling and I start spilling secret after secret after secret that women I have slept with have told me. That's how I accepted payment for my forced prostitution. My slavery. No one was supposed to know that's what I was. The only ones who knew up until now were Mags and Annie. Mags helped me get through it, and Annie knew because I couldn't keep lying to her about why I had to go to the capitol for weeks at a time. I thought Annie was going to have another mental breakdown when I told her, but she hugged me, kissed my cheek and told me that while she hated every minute of it, she knew the truth – that I loved her and no one else would ever mean anything to me.

That night, Katniss and I go back to the computer room in special defense where we watch Beetee work away at airing the videos they shot earlier. We're waiting on our loved ones to return to us. That's where we are, in special defense with the hummingbirds, tying knots, keeping each other company, and trying to stay awake, when Haymitch bursts in telling us they've returned. Katniss and I look at each other for a moment before Katniss takes my hand and we follow Haymitch out of the room. My thoughts are all about Annie and I'm sure hers are all about Peeta.

It only takes five minutes to get from special defense to the hospital, but it feels like it's taking years. When we finally get there, Katniss and I begin looking around, searching for them. Katniss sees Gale and tries to go in the room where he is, but she's pushed back. I would have said something but when I hear my name being yelled by a familiar voice, all train of thought is lost. Annie. I barely have enough times to put my arms out before she fills them. We fall over against a wall. Nothing matters anymore except I finally have my Annie. Plans to let her go any time soon don't exist. She clings to me as much as I cling to her.

Neither of us talk or move until I feel a hand on my shoulder. We look up to see commander Boggs.

"Come on, you can't stand here all night," he says.

_Yes we can_ I think to myself. I'm not letting her go so I pick her up and she willingly wraps her legs around my waist as I carry her after Boggs. He directs us to another room where we have to wait for the doctor to come examine Annie.

"They'll be here soon," Boggs says smiling at us. When he leaves the room, I spin around with her.

"I've missed you," I tell her as I hug her.

"I've missed you too," she says choking me.

"I'm not letting you go," I say. "Unless I absolutely have to,"

"You'll have to put her on the examining table," Mrs. Everdeen smiles as she walks in the door. Annie kisses my cheek and I sigh before I unwillingly put her down on the table. I take her hand since it's all I can hold on to. Mrs. Everdeen brings her a change of clothes since she was completely naked under the sheet she was wrapped in. I didn't notice before. Her green eyes are still bright, but there's terror behind them. Her hair is cropped in odd places at odd angles; there are bruises and scars all over her body. I squeeze her hand as I watch Mrs. Everdeen work. I want to sob because I should have protected her better. I should have done something while I could. I should have made arrangements to have her go into hiding in another District.

"I want to keep you here at least tonight. You probably could use a good rest. That, and Coin isn't assigning compartments until midafternoon, so you won't have anywhere else to go," Mrs. Everdeen explains when she's done.

"She could always –"

"No Finnick, she'll be assigned her own compartment. One close to yours I'm sure, but it will be her own." I see the blush creep up Annie's cheeks as I was about to suggest she could stay with me. I don't like the idea of her having her own compartment away from me. "You can stay with her tonight though," she pauses and looks at me. "Are you going to be alright?" she asks curiously. I look directly into Annie's eyes.

"I will be now," I say. I don't see the reaction that Mrs. Everdeen has because I'm too busy focusing on Annie. It's true. Everything is going to be okay now that I have Annie.

"Do you want anything for your hands?" she asks. "You and Katniss both," she shakes her head.

"Knot tying is the only thing that's gotten me this far, my hands will be fine," I tell her. The concern in her voice is enough to worry Annie. She sees my hands for the first time. They're rough, scratched, cracked, bleeding. She turns my hands over in hers.

"They're bleeding Fin," she says. I shake my head.

"It's alright, I don't mind. They'll stop soon," I don't want my hands bandaged. The pain and the scars are what kept me from losing my mind.

"Alright, well, I'm going to go now. I'll be back to check on you in the morning, try and sleep," Mrs. Everdeen leaves the room.

"I'm sorry Annie," I say. She gets up off the table and walks around to curl up in my lap.

"For what?" she asks.

"For leaving you. I knew all along we were going to be rescued. I should have done something to ensure your safety too. I promised I wouldn't let them hurt you again, but look at you! That's all they've done isn't it?" I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.

"It's okay Finnick," she whispers. I know it's far from okay. She's going to have to recover from this too. She wraps her arms around my neck and nestles her head against my chest. Together at last, this is how we fall asleep.

~HG~HG~HG~

A few weeks pass and I feel really awful. Katniss probably hates me or something. I have Annie back and she's recovering nicely. Peeta however is in far worse condition than any of us imagined he would be. The capitol did something to him where he is wired to kill her if he sees her. Katniss and I bonded over our loss, but now that I have what I lost, and she has to watch him try and kill her, she must hate me. I don't spend too much time thinking about this because Annie requires a lot of my attention too.

She was assigned her own compartment just a few down from mine. It's very empty with just her. She doesn't have anything. I don't have much either, but there's more life to my compartment than there is in hers. The first night we are supposed to go to our own compartments, I go over and spend time with her in hers. I'm there until they cut the lights wanting us to all go to sleep. The sudden darkness scares her and she starts screaming. I cross the darkness to her and wrap my arms around her.

"It's okay Annie, it's alright," I say. I hold her while she cries and eventually our eyes adjust to the darkness. By now I'd have lit a candle in my own compartment, but I don't know where any are in here.

"Don't leave me," she whimpers.

"I won't, I'll stay as long as you want me to," I tell her. We make our way to her room through the darkness and I tuck her into her bed.

"I love you Annie," I whisper. I was planning on sleeping in the chair beside her bed but she reaches for my arm.

"I love you too Finnick. You said you weren't leaving," she says.

"I wasn't, I was going to sleep in the chair,"

"Don't be ridiculous," she moves over and pats the bed expecting me to climb in beside her. I don't hesitate before I lie down and pull her into my arms for the night.

~HG~HG~HG~

I've been working up and waiting for this moment for more years than I care to count.

"Annie, if you're not busy, let's go somewhere," I ask as seductively as I can, leaning against the doorframe of her sitting room where she's drawing.

"Where do you want to go?" she asks laughing at my tone.

"I want to show you something,"

"It involves going somewhere?" She looks up at me. She smiles as I nod my head. "Where are we going then?" she asks standing up and crossing the room to me. She wraps her arms around my waist.

"I want to show you the humming birds," it's as close to outside beauty as I'll get for this.

"Humming birds Finnick?"

"That's what I said," I smile and kiss the tip of her nose. "Come on,"

I lead her down the halls to special defense, around to the humming bird room. It takes some help from Beetee to get us back there, I had to tell him what I'm up to in order for this to work anyways.

"Are you alright?" Annie asks.

"I'm fine, why?"

"Your hands are sweating. They only sweat when you're nervous," She knows me better than I know myself sometimes.

"I'm fine," I repeat. Just a little further. She looks at me curiously but I know she wants to know what's got me on edge. When we enter the humming bird room she gasps as she takes in the beauty of it.

"It's so pretty," she whispers.

"Look around," I tell her letting go of her hand. She slowly walks forward looking around. I stand there watching her. After a few minutes silence she turns around to look at me.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"I'm not doing anything except standing here watching you," I smile.

"Finnick," I cross the distance to her.

"You are my entire world. I decided long ago that I can't live without you. I don't want to try living without you again. The few months that you were in captivity and I was thrown into another arena was the worst time in my life. I promised I'd protect you, and I'm still sticking to that. There's just one more thing that I want that would make everything in the world worth something," I've taken her hands in mine and she doesn't break eye contact with me. I pull a small silver band out of my pocket. It's not much, but Beetee and I have been making and designing it for a week now.

"Marry me Annie," She looks down at the band in my hand and then back up to my eyes. She closes my hand around it and for half a second I think she's going to tell me no. But then she's flung herself at me and is kissing me with such intensity that it takes me a moment to realize what happened. I pick her up and spin her around and kiss her back.

"I love you Finnick. Of course I'll marry you," she opens my hand again to look at the silver band. I take her hand and put it on her and she reaches up to kiss me again. Nothing else in the world matters except me and her. We'll finally be together forever.


End file.
